The Philadelphia Flyers’ 2024-25 season showed promise but ended on a sour note. The on and off-ice drama did little to advance the team’s rebuild to the next level. The Flyers finished at the bottom of the Metro Division with 76 points.
So, the question begs, “What changes can the Philadelphia Flyers make to compete next season?”
That’s a tough question to answer as there are multiple layers to it. But we can attempt to drill down on it by honing in on these three non-negotiable changes if the Flyers are to compete in 2025-26 for a playoff spot.
3 non-negotiable offseason changes for Philadelphia Flyers in 2025
Boost special teams performance
Special teams were one of the Philadelphia Flyers' Achilles heels in 2024-25.
Let’s start by looking at the power play.
The Flyers ranked 30th in the league with a 14.5% power play. That’s not going to cut it for a playoff team.
Now, you might argue that the LA Kings finished second in the Pacific Division and they had a 17.9% power play, ranked 27th. Similarly, the Carolina Hurricanes were ranked 25th and they also finished second in their division.
But the flip side to that story is that the Hurricanes had the top penalty kill in the league while the Kings were eighth.
That situation means that the Flyers, who had the 20th-ranked penalty kill in the league, can’t get away with an awful power play and subpar penalty kill. The Flyers need to boost both special teams in order to make a case for playoff contention.
On the whole, a coaching change could turn both special teams around, improving from the latter third of the league to at least middle of the pack.
Changes behind the bench
This change is an evident one. Once John Tortorella was dismissed in late March, assistant Brad Shaw took over for the remainder of the season. While the Philadelphia Flyers have not committed to running with Shaw next season, the likelihood is that the team will kick the tires on other coaches out there before settling on Shaw.
This change is crucial as the Flyers need a voice that can direct a young and up-and-coming team. So, I’m not sure that someone from Tortorella’s former staff would be that voice.
Regardless, the Flyers need a change behind the bench that can reflect the team’s persona. And, that’s the issue. The Flyers seemed to lack a persona under Tortorella. So, whether it’s Shaw or anyone else, the Flyers’ new coach must instill a team persona that can leverage its strength amid what figures to be a Metro Division next season that’s not as tough as in years' past.
A solid starting goaltender
Goaltending was arguably the biggest issue for the Flyers this season. The club was 28th in the league, surrendering 3.45 goals per game. They ranked above the Sabres, Penguins, Blackhawks, and Sharks.
That’s some tough company.
Now, to be fair, Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov weren’t as bad as you might believe. Ersson and Fedotov had similar numbers. Ersson posted a 3.14 GAA and an .883 SV%, with Fedotov posting a 3.15 GAA and an .880 SV%.
The argument could be made here that if the Flyers had played better defense in front of both netminders, their numbers would be better.
However, the Flyers will need a solid number-one goaltender if they are to compete. That’s easier said than done considering that there are few options out there, either via free agency or trade.
But that’s a change that will have to be made in order for the Flyers to turn a corner heading into next season.